One thing that I have noticed lately is that PMS colours are not as reliable as they used to be. The biggest reason for this, it seems, is the move from offset printing to digital printing. I had a horrific time getting a brochure colour-matched to a specific PMS-shade of green — it was the first time I realized that digital printing, though cheaper, had its trade offs. In this instance, there was a technical problem and the printer had to be recalibrated in order to get close to the accepted PMS shade.

I guess in short what I am saying is that often the hardware and corresponding printing process has as much bearing on colour matching as what colour scheme you use. Offset printing, while more expensive, tends to give you the best (read: most consistent) results in my experience.

As you say, it’s best to get a colour proof before going ahead with a full print job if colour matching is critical!

~Graham

I’ve been answering similar questions for years now, as the lead for Xerox’s product information team and FreeColorPrinters blogger.

This is the clearest and most informative information I’ve seen on the subject!

Thanks for posting!

-Perry

http://blog.freecolorprinters.com/